Cost of Living Comparison Between Butuan and Chiang Mai Cost of Living Comparison Between Butuan and Chiang Mai

Monthly Cost of Living

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $716 in Butuan versus $852 in Chiang Mai.

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,101 in Butuan versus $1,354 in Chiang Mai.

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,486 in Butuan versus $1,857 in Chiang Mai.

Living in Butuan costs roughly 16% less than in Chiang Mai, driven mainly by Groceries & Markets.

Both cities sit below the global median: Butuan 47% lower, Chiang Mai 36% lower.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.31 ₱266

$1.96 ฿64.0

119.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$15.88 ₱979

$18.81 ฿615

-15.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$2.46 ₱152

$7.92 ฿259

-68.94%

Cappuccino

$1.68 ₱104

$1.91 ฿62.6

-12.04%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.36 ₱21.99

$0.84 ฿27.41

-57.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.29 ₱17.78

$0.35 ฿11.51

-17.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.17 ₱72.3

$2.21 ฿72.1

-47.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₱106

$3.80 ฿124

-54.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.73 ₱107

$1.64 ฿53.5

5.49%

White Bread (500g)

$1.08 ₱66.5

$1.62 ฿53.1

-33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.99 ₱61.2

$1.18 ฿38.62

-16.10%

Eggs

$2.02 ₱124

$2.01 ฿65.8

0.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.81 ₱358

$15.89 ฿520

-63.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.64 ₱224

$3.01 ฿98.5

20.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.13 ₱440

$10.77 ฿352

-33.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.39 ₱86.0

$2.61 ฿85.5

-46.74%

Banana (1kg)

$0.55 ₱33.97

$1.22 ฿39.88

-54.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.93 ₱57.5

$1.70 ฿55.7

-45.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.35 ₱83.1

$1.58 ฿51.5

-14.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 ₱136

$1.32 ฿43.14

67.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.15 ₱194

$1.17 ฿38.23

169.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.33 ₱81.8

$0.67 ฿21.98

98.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 ₱32.23

$0.56 ฿18.32

-7.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.52 ₱156

$4.53 ฿148

-44.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.34 ₱514

$18.20 ฿595

-54.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 ₱46.46

$1.83 ฿60.0

-59.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.92 ₱57.0

$3.23 ฿106

-71.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 ₱17.44

$0.89 ฿29.00

-68.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.38 ฿634

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.70 ₱43.33

$1.35 ฿44.20

-48.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.12

$1.35 ฿44.05

-82.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.08 ₱128

$8.25 ฿270

-74.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 ₱70.2

$1.27 ฿41.64

-10.24%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$22.2K ₱1.4M

$21.2K ฿691.8K

4.90%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$20.5K ₱1.3M

$22.5K ฿735.3K

-8.96%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$106 ₱6,559

$70.2 ฿2,294

51.59%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$34.42 ₱2,123

$13.77 ฿450

149.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.26 ₱2,236

$17.60 ฿575

106.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.19 ₱2,109

$41.57 ฿1,360

-17.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.46 ₱275

$6.60 ฿216

-32.42%

Cinema Ticket

$4.38 ₱270

$5.78 ฿189

-24.22%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$71.5 ₱4,408

$306 ฿10.0K

-76.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,769 ₱109.1K

$14.8K ฿484.8K

-88.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.89 ₱2,769

$54.4 ฿1,778

-17.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$10.06 ₱621

$26.14 ฿855

-61.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$71.9 ₱4,433

$84.5 ฿2,764

-14.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.5 ₱4,285

$69.4 ฿2,270

0.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$265 ₱16.3K

$424 ฿13.9K

-37.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$179 ₱11.1K

$238 ฿7,788

-24.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$586 ₱36.1K

$825 ฿27.0K

-29.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$389 ₱24.0K

$515 ฿16.8K

-24.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,041 ₱125.9K

$2,049 ฿67.0K

-0.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,523 ฿49.8K

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$106 ₱6,513

$635 ฿20.8K

-83.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

9.56

91.20%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Butuan: April 26, 2026

Last update for Chiang Mai: April 27, 2026

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $265 in Butuan and $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chiang Mai pays 502% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $16.00 in Butuan vs $19.00 in Chiang Mai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $165 vs $243 per month, with Butuan cheaper across the board.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Butuan vs Chiang Mai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Butuan wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Chiang Mai. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butuan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, Chiang Mai earns 502% less. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $265 in Butuan versus $424 in Chiang Mai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $71.5 in Butuan versus $306 in Chiang Mai. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Butuan – a meal for two runs $16.00 versus $19.00 in Chiang Mai. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $800 a month, though Butuan gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

Both work as nomad bases, but Butuan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $716 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Butuan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Butuan and Chiang Mai are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Butuan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Chiang Mai. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.